The Line in the Sand
by topgun308
Summary: Just a good old fashioned brawl between two trainers who are striving to be the very best, like no one ever was. Nothing more, nothing less.


**I think that there is far too much Romance and "Shipping" clustering up in the Pokémon category of this site. Let's get some variety here and get back to what Pokémon is supposed to be about: Trainers competing to be the very best. Let's take a break from all this garbage with a good ol' six-on-six brawl.**

**I don't own anything that's not mine. **

**Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, blah blah blah let's get into it.**

A loud roar went up from the crowd as the smartly-dressed man wielding a wireless microphone walked to the centre of the battlefield.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to the wonderful Saffron Stadium, where we will witness two powerful contestants fight in a full six-on-six battle to decide the Winner for the 2012 Saffron Derby! We've had a wonderful afternoon so far, with many exciting battles, so let's wrap it up in a HUGE finale! Please give a round of applause for our competitors!"

There was another loud cheer as the two Trainers appeared from opposite ends of the stadium ground, slowly making their way to the centre. One of them was a boy, about 5ft 9 with a tanned complexion and scruffy, unkept hair, wearing a black hoodie jumper, a red Xtransceiver on his left wrist, grey tracksuits, and bright red runners. The other was a girl, slightly shorter than her opponent, of Caucasian appearance with long, brown hair tied up into hastily a big ponytail, wearing a bright blue polo shirt with a Poke Ball emblazoned on the left side of the chest, a cyan Poke Gear dangling on a piece of string around her neck, navy-blue ¾ shorts that hung around her knees, and white runners with grey socks.

"On my left," the MC continued, "heralds all the way from Mistralton City, Unova! He so far has 6 Kanto badges to his name and his team is looking in fine form! Please give a warm welcome for Matthew Valentine!"

The crowd roared as Matt glanced about and gave a slight wave to the crowd.

"His opponent," said the MC, "hailing from Ecruteak City, Johto, also has 6 badges to her name, and is looking to become a serious competitor for the title of Champion! I give you Valerie Adams!"

The crowd was up on its feet as she looked around excitedly.

The two Trainers closed in until they were about fifteen metres from each other. The crowd quietened down in anticipation as the referee ran onto the field, stopping in the middle between the two.

"This is a single six-on-six match, and either trainer may substitute, however no items such as Potions or Revives are allowed until after the battle is over. You may begin when ready!"

Matt stared his opponent right in the eye, nodded in respect and said, "May the best trainer win".

Valerie nodded back, pulling a Poke Ball from her pocket, "I plan to. Let's go, Freddie!"

A sleek-looking Furret emerged.

Matt called his first Pokémon, "Alright, You're up Dazza!"

Opposite to Freddie, appeared a Galvantula.

"So our first match-up is _Galvantula_ and _Furret_!" proclaimed the MC, "Let the battle begin!"

"Freddie," called Valerie, "Use Quick Attack!"

Freddie nodded and launched forward at a blinding speed, leaving a white contrail.

"Dazza, Electroweb!" yelled Matt.

Dazza reared up as Freddie closed in. A stream of electricity formed in between its fangs, ready to strike.

"Freddie, abort!" exclaimed Valerie, recognizing the trap.

The Furret jumped and launched clear of the Galvantula, sailing straight over it and landing behind.

Both Pokémon turned on a dime to face their opponent.

"Freddie, use Shadow Claw!" yelled Valerie.

Freddie growled as large Wolverine-esque blades of black energy formed around its paws and attacked, landing a direct hit on Dazza's face.

The spider retreated backwards to avoid a flurry of more swipes.

"Dazza, use Electroweb!" yelled Matt.

Dazza released the energy gathered in its jaws into a stream which lassoed around Freddie's shoulders, immobilizing its arms and sending powerful shockwaves up its spine, causing it to cringe in pain.

"FREDDIE!" Valerie exclaimed in alarm.

"Too late," Matt grinned, "Wrap it up nice and tight, Dazza!"

Freddie yelped in pain as the Galvantula silently created more webbing and circled around its hapless victim, squeezing it up tight in a burning cacoon of raw electricity.

"Now use Toxic!" said Matt.

Dazza reared up as its fangs took a purple glow.

The crowd was on their feet in exhilaration as Dazza rammed down with all its might on the Furret's head in a vicious bite, slamming it into the ground.

Dazza retreated several paces as the electricity dissipated and poison took hold. Freddie groaned in agony as it struggled to haul itself up. It turned to face Dazza and made a defiant scream.

"That is one tough Furret," the MC murmured in surprise, "It clearly doesn't want to go down without a fight".

Valerie breathed a sigh of relief and made her next move. "Alright Freddie, let's go all out! Hit 'im with Double Edge!"

Freddie charged at Dazza with all its might, slamming into the Galvantula before either it or its trainer could react, causing it to retreat back several more paces.

"Dazza, finish it Thunderbolt!" yelled Matt.

At point blank range, Freddie was blown off its feet by a powerful surge of electricity, sending it a good fifteen feet away, landing face-first in the dirt.

"Freddie!" exclaimed Valerie.

Freddie rolled onto its chest to push itself up... and collapsed.

"Furret is unable to battle," the referee raised a green flag, "Galvantula wins".

A loud roar rose up from the crowd as Valerie returned Freddie to its Poke Ball.

"You did your best," she muttered softly, "and I'm proud of you".

"So Matthew has made an early lead!" said the MC, "Let's see how Valerie responds to that!"

She produced another Poke Ball from her pocket, "Like this! Let's go, Dexter!"

Dexter appeared in a bright red flash, about five feet in front of its trainer.

"A Gliscor, huh?" Matt murmured, "It's not often you see one of those around..."

He pulled his Pokedex out, scanning Dexter with it.

"_Gliscor, the Fang Scorp Pokémon, and the evolved form of__Gligar__. It watches its prey as it hangs from trees by its tail and attacks from above when it sees the chance"_.

"Very interesting..." He mused as he put the Pokedex away, "Let's see if we can take you down then, eh?"

Out loud, He said "Alright Dazza, return!"

The Galvantula was sucked up by a red beam back into its Poke ball, and Matt pulled a second one from his pocket. "Jerry, I choose you!"

Jerry the Vaporeon appeared in a bright flash. It looked around blankly and yawned.

"So Round Two will be _Vaporeon_ versus Gliscor!" announced the MC, "Let's see how this turns out!"

"Dexter, use Aerial Ace!" yelled Valerie.

"Jerry, use Ice Beam!" commanded Matt.

As Jerry launched its attack, Dexter took off at lightning speed and hurtled straight for the Bubble Jet Pokémon, leaving a light-blue contrail behind it. It barrel-rolled over the stream of freezing energy to avoid it and slammed into its target, knocking it back several feet. Jerry recovered quickly and launched a second Ice Beam at point-blank range.

Dexter howled in pain as the super-effective damage took hold. Ice formed on its wings and froze them solid, making them heavy and unusable.

"Dexter, use Earthquake!" commanded Valerie.

Dexter growled and slammed its claws into the ground.

For a moment nothing happened, but suddenly the ground shook violently and a large network of cracks ripped the ground open, launching debris everywhere.

Jerry yelped as it lost its footing and fell down amongst the shifting landscape, disappearing down a crack and trapping it there.

Matt yelled in concern, "Jerry, are you alright?!"

Jerry whimpered as it tried to free itself.

Dexter walked over to the hole, standing at the edge, grinning evilly.

"Finish it with X-Scissor!" Valerie clenched her fist.

Dexter tilted over and fell in, raising its claws to strike.

"Jerry, use Hydro Pump!" yelled Matt.

Jerry looked up and launched a large volume of water from its mouth, catching the Gliscor and sending it sky-high in a fountain.

"Dammit!" Valerie gritted her teeth.

Dexter landed hard with a thud ten feet away.

The torrent of water turned the battlefield into a muddy slush, allowing Jerry to free itself and haul itself out with considerable effort.

"C'mon Dexter, get up!" Valerie pleaded.

Dexter groaned and didn't move.

"Gliscor is unable to battle!" the referee raised the green flag, "Vaporeon wins!"

Another loud roar went up from the crowd as Valerie returned her fallen Pokémon.

"Unlucky," she mumbled, "You tried your best, so thank you".

Matt wiped the sweat off his brow, "They almost had us there, Jerry. Good work!"

Jerry purred happily in response.

"Matthew has gone out to an early lead in this battle!" the MC blared over the loudspeakers, "Valerie better come up with something good to turn the deficit around!"

Valerie considered her next move and produced her third Poke Ball, "*sigh*, Alright Jasper, You're up!"

Jasper appeared in a flash.

"So Valerie's next Pokémon is _Scyther_!" announced the MC, "That's an interesting choice! Let's see what Valerie has in store here!"

Jasper growled menacingly at its opponent.

"I don't think Jerry will be able to take him on in its current condition," murmured Matt, "Jerry, take 5!"

He recalled Jerry to its Poke Ball, and made his next choice.

"Harvey, I choose you!" He exclaimed, releasing the Pokémon.

"Matthew's next Pokémon is _Braviary_!" announced the MC, "This looks to be an interesting matchup!"

Valerie frowned, "Ugh, let's take this bird down, Jasper! Start by using Agility!"

Jasper took off in the blink of an eye, flying circles around its larger opponent.

"Harvey, Take flight!" commanded Matt.

Harvey nodded and stretched out its large wings.

In several moments, the big bird was airborne and slowly meandering overhead.

Jasper glanced at Valerie, waiting for the next move.

"...Alright. Let's take flight as well!" She decided.

Jasper flexed its wings and took off after Harvey.

Matt watched as Jasper hurtled upwards, gaining altitude at a rapid rate.

"Just a little closer..." He muttered, then shouted, "Harvey, use Brave Bird!"

"Jasper, use Double Team!" Valerie countered.

As Harvey prepared its attack, several dozen copies of Jasper suddenly appeared in the sky surrounding it.

Harvey paused and looked around in concern, unsure of which one was the real thing.

"Now use X-Scissor!" yelled Valerie.

The real Jasper emerged beneath Harvey unseen, claws glowing white, and slashed at Harvey's belly. All the fake Jaspers then dissipated.

"Harvey, beneath you! Look out!" exclaimed Matt.

Harvey grunted as the attack connected, and rolled over and into a dive.

"After it!" commanded Valerie, "Use Aerial Ace!"

Jasper easily kept pace with its opponent and made several attacking passes, striking Harvey multiple times as they dropped altitude.

"Scyther isn't going to let up!" the MC remarked, "Braviary is really feeling the pressure now!"

"Harvey, use Rock Slide!" commanded Matt.

As Harvey neared the ground, it grabbed several large chunks of stone in its talons and hurled them with all its might at Jasper, who deftly dodged to the side, avoiding the projectiles with relative ease. Harvey then followed up its barrage with an Aerial Ace of its own, collecting up the Scyther with its broad wing and knocking it to the ground.

Scyther grunted and stood back up as Harvey banked around to attack again.

"Finish it with Brave Bird!" Matt grinned.

"Jasper, use X-Scissor!" commanded Valerie.

Harvey became surrounded by a red glow as it charged towards its target at high speed, and Jasper raised its claws to strike.

There was a loud clash as they seemingly passed through each other.

Harvey lost its balance and slammed into the turf, rolling to a stop some twenty feet from Jasper.

Jasper was motionless for a moment, before slumping over and landing on its face.

There was a tense silence as neither Pokémon budged an inch.

"What a spectacle, folks!" the MC said excitedly, "Who do you think will get up first?"

Both Trainers watched intently, begging their respective Pokémon to get back up.

Harvey blinked a few times and slowly, but surely hauled itself up, crowing defiantly.

Jasper remained completely still.

"Scyther is unable to battle," the referee raised his green flag, "Braviary wins!"

The crowd cheered loudly as Valerie returned Jasper to its Poke Ball. "Don't worry," she whispered, "Your loss will not be in vain".

She stared at Matt with fierce determination as she chose her next Pokémon.

"Alright Marco, I choose you!" She yelled.

Marco entered the battlefield, briefly looking around at the spectators before fixing its gaze on its opponent.

"Valerie's made an interesting choice here," the MC remarked, "choosing to go with _Sceptile_ for the next round! Let's see what Matthew is going to do!"

Matthew murmured in confusion, "She is choosing a Grass Type to fight a Flying Type? What do you have planned here...? Harvey, you can take it down, but watch yourself. I think they're up to something".

Harvey growled lowly at its opponent with a menacing glare.

Marco composed itself and made a battle pose.

"If she's planning a trap," Matt murmured, "then let's make this interesting and spring that trap. Harvey, use Aerial Ace!"

Harvey launched into action, flying straight towards the Forest Pokémon.

"Wait for it..." Valerie whispered, "...NOW! Use Dragon Claw!"

Marco's claws instantly grew in size, surrounded by blue energy, and swiped as Harvey passed over its head.

Harvey grunted and plunged into the ground again.

"Huh," Matt blinked in surprise, "Fancy that then".

"Braviary is unable to battle!" the referee raised a red flag, "Sceptile wins!"

"And Valerie gets her first score on the board!" declared the MC, "Just like that! But she still has a long way to go yet!"

"Harvey gave all he had to give, and didn't have anything left in the tank anyway," Matt remarked, returning the downed bird to its Poke Ball, "I didn't honestly expect him to win. So let's get real! Nightshade, I choose you!"

Nightshade twirled about upon entrance, giggling madly at all the attention from the crowd.

"So Matthew's next Pokémon is _Mismagius_!" announced the MC, "This should be interesting!"

"Nightshade, use Shadow Ball!" commanded Matt.

"Marco, Bullet Seed!" exclaimed Valerie.

Nightshade formed a big ball of purple energy in front of it and launched it at its opponent.

Marco ducked at the last second, letting the shot sail overhead, before launching a barrage of green "seeds" of energy from its mouth.

Nightshade contorted its form in various ways to avoid the attacks.

"Marco, use Leaf Blade!" Valerie ordered.

The leaves on Marco's arms grew slightly, engulfed in bright, fluro-green energy. It charged towards Nightshade, making a menacing growl.

"Nightshade, Hypnosis!" Matt said calmly.

Nightshade was motionless as it made a soft humming noise and launched a yellow ray at its opponent from the gems on its midsection.

Valerie grumbled under her breath as Marco slowed down and fell into a trance-like state, before slumping over, fast asleep.

The colour drained from her face as she realized what Matt's next move would be.

"Dream Eater," He said simply.

Nightshade's eyes glowed pink, and Marco was surrounded by a similar-coloured aura.

Marco shuddered briefly, and then the aura was gone.

"That looks like it did a lot of damage!" the MC remarked.

"Marco, wake up!" Valerie yelled in concern.

Marco's eyes flashed open, and with a groan, it hauled itself up.

Valerie grinned, "Now finish that Leaf Blade!"

Marco growled and did just that, slashing the Mismagius with the large green blades of energy emitted from its wrists.

Nightshade shrieked and retaliated with Shadow Ball, hitting Marco square in the chest this time. However, the attack was rushed and not at full power, so the actual damage inflicted was not as much as it should've been.

Marco stretched out and struck with another Dragon Claw, knocking the Ghost Type to the ground and out of commission.

"Mismagius is unable to battle," the referee raised his red flag, "Sceptile wins!"

The crowd was up on its feet in ecstasy, cheering the Johto trainer's comeback.

"It seems Valerie might be able to turn this around yet," said the MC, "Matthew will have to stay calm and stay ahead if he is to win this from here on out".

"And I intend to do just that," He murmured as he recalled Nightshade, "Unfortunate mate. You did your best, and I'm proud of that. Dazza, back to the dance floor!"

Dazza was back in the field in a flash.

"Matthew has chosen Galvantula to take on Sceptile!" declared the MC, "Both Pokémon are looking a little worse for wear from their previous battles, so let's see which one will outlast the other!"

"There will be no mercy from here on out," Matt warned his opponent, "I came here to win this competition and I'm not planning to go home empty-handed".

"The feeling's mutual," Valerie shot back.

"Then let's roll! Dazza, use Electroweb!" Matt shouted.

Dazza wasted no time in spitting a stream of electric energy at Sceptile. Marco simply caught the web in its hand and gave it a sharp tug, jerking Dazza towards it. The electricity didn't really affect the Grass-Type, so, grabbing the stream in both hands, it slowly reeled the spider in, inch by inch, and thereby disallowing the Bug/Electric Type to retract the web.

Dazza dug its back feet into the dirt, acting as an anchor to resist the Sceptile's strength, and it quickly escalated to a tug-of-war, a test of outright power.

"Dazza, use Thunderbolt!" called Matt.

A large surge of power shot up the stream and through Marco's arms, causing it to cringe and lose focus. Dazza moved like a blur as it suddenly rushed its opponent, running circles around it and climbing all over it.

Within moments, Marco was suddenly encased in a cocoon of electricity, unable to move at all.

"Finish it with Toxic!" Matt smirked.

Before Dazza could strike, a green aura suddenly took hold of Marco.

Matt went wide-eyed in surprise, "That's..."

"Sceptile has activated its Overgrow ability!" the MC remarked in surprise, "Its strength increases to help it pull through in a tough pinch! It's not often we see a phenomenon like this, people! Take a picture now!"

Marco roared as it struggled to break free from its prison, and almost succeeded.

Dazza quickly clambered into Marco's back and rammed its fangs down the back of Marco's neck, injecting the intoxicating venom into its bloodstream.

After a few moments, the struggling and screaming quietened down, and then went silent. Marco slumped to the ground in defeat, out cold.

The referee calmly raised his green flag, "Sceptile is unable to battle. Galvantula wins!"

"What a way to go, people!" exclaimed the MC, "We almost witnessed something incredible there, but Matthew's Galvantula would have nothing of it! What will Valerie do now? She only has two Pokémon left to Matt's four, two of which have yet to participate in battle! This is looking to be an exciting match for the crowd that turned out today, who also are enjoying the spectacles and the carnage! You can't make this stuff up folks!"

Valerie took deep breaths, considering her next choices as she recalled Marco back. "Alright," she said, "Carlisle, I choose you!"  
Matt frowned at the new entry to the battle, and recalled Dazza back to its Poke Ball.

"Merrick, come on out!" He called, releasing his next choice.

"Wow, we have a tough matchup for Valerie here!" proclaimed the MC, "Her _Raichu_ versus Matthew's _Quagsire_! She better have her thinking cap on to win this one!"

"C'mon Carlisle, we can do this!" She encouraged the Mouse Pokémon, "But we need to put in 110% to pull this off!"

"Rai-Rai!" Carlisle nodded.

"We're almost home buddy," Matt said to Merrick, "Just two more to go and we've done it!"

Merrick nodded lazily in return.

"So let's do it quickly! Use Earthquake!" He commanded.

Merrick jumped up and stomped down as hard as it could, triggering a series of powerful tremors that shook the entire stadium.

Large cracks started ripping up the battlefield, making their way towards Carlisle.

"Use Agility and jump about to avoid falling in!" Valerie ordered.

Carlisle swiftly jumped between ledges and over holes, deftly avoiding the crumbling landscape around them.

"Merrick, now use Yawn!" yelled Matt.

Merrick blinked and yawned quite loudly in Carlisle's general direction.

"Carlisle, use Focus Blast, quickly!" exclaimed Valerie.

Carlisle formed a blue ball of energy in between its paws and hurled it at its target.

The orb slammed into Merrick's stomach with considerable power, knocking it back several feet.

Merrick grunted and doubled over, before straightening back up.

"Carlisle, stay with me!" Valerie pleaded.

Carlisle stumbled about for a few moments, looking rather dizzy, before slumping over flat on its face, fast asleep.

Valerie facepalmed, "Dammit..."

"Merrick, use Mud Bomb!" ordered Matt.

Merrick collected a large lump of dirt, splashed it up a bit with Water Gun, drenching it to the core, and hurling it at its opponent.

The projectile landed directly on Carlisle's head with a splat.

The crowd cheered as the referee raised his green flag, "Raichu is unable to battle! Quagsire wins!"

"This doesn't look good for Valerie!" The MC exclaimed, "She'd better have something good up her sleeve to turn this around now!"

She sighed as she recalled the fallen Mouse, "You did what was required, and now it's time to bring home the bacon".

"C'mon mate," said Matt, "it's been fun, but the sooner it's all over, the better".

"It's not over until the fat lady sings," Valerie gritted her teeth, "Now it's time to get real. Come on out, Torch!"

Torch appeared on the battlefield in a bright flash next to its trainer.

"And Valerie's last Pokémon is _Typhlosion_!" the MC announced, "Let's see if she can pull something out of nothing here!"

The referee stepped forward, "The battlefield setting will now be changed. Please stand clear!"

Both trainers stepped back as the battlefield dropped down underneath the floor, assisted by hydraulic machines. A few moments later, new scenery was pushed up, locking solid into place.

Matt instantly noticed two trees on either side of each other, about ten metres apart, just a dozen feet from where he was standing.

"It's time to draw the line in the sand, Torch," Valerie said quietly, "the ball's in our court. Let's mop them all up one at a time". Torch nodded with a grunt.

"The battle will now resume," the referee stepped back, "You may continue when ready!"

"Merrick, use Water Gun!" Matt said simply.

As Merrick launched its attack, Valerie shouted, "Torch, use Sunny Day!"

A bright orb of light suddenly appeared in Torch's paws, and it thrust it up into the air.

The Sun suddenly increased in intensity, causing everyone to cringe and reach for their sunglasses.

The temperature suddenly became unbearable hot as well, evaporating the Water Gun attack to a pitiful trickle that landed short of its target.

Both Torch and Valerie flashed a vicious grin.

"Torch, use Solarbeam!"

Before Matt could react, Torch dropped down on all fours, flared up the fire on the back of its neck and launched a massive, intense beam of bright yellow energy from its mouth. Merrick was mopped up in the blink of an eye and was slammed into the barrier on the far side of the arena.

The referee didn't even think twice, "Quagsire is unable to battle, Typhlosion wins!"

The crowd roared and was up on its feet. The excitement was contagious.

Matt blinked in confusion, trying to catch up with how quickly that went.

"What on Earth..." He looked around blankly.

"What _POWER_!" the MC exclaimed in awe, "Typhlosion just _curb-stomped_ that Quagsire! It has three more opponents to go through yet, though, so don't count Matthew out of this just yet!"

Matt recalled his fallen Pokémon, "Wow, that was impressive. Looks like I'm gonna have to pick up the pace now!"

He produced another Poke Ball, "Jerry, your time to shine!"

Jerry was back in the field in a flash. It cringed under the intense sunlight.

"Vaporeon looks a little tired from its previous battle with Gliscor," the MC remarked in concern, "Can it win against an in-form Typhlosion? The odds are swinging to Valerie's favour now".

"I'm not expecting him to win," Matt whispered under his breath, "Just to wear this sucker down a bit. I have the numerical advantage, so let's do this!"

Out loud, He commanded, "Jerry, use Hydro Pump!"

As Jerry launched its attack, Valerie shouted, "Solarbeam, now!"

Torch launched its attack, boosted by the Sun's intense presence.

The bright yellow beam of light simply blasted through and overpowered the torrent of water coming in the opposite direction, and slammed into Jerry's face, causing it to flip over onto its back, landing with a thud.

"Vaporeon is unable to battle," the referee raised his red flag without batting an eyelash, "Typhlosion wins!"

"Two wins from two attacks!" the MC was stunned, "Valerie is _blitzing_ home now! Matt better have something good to stop this powerhouse!"

Matt frowned in frustration as he recalled Jerry, "Well that sucked".

Valerie perked right up, full of confidence, "We're almost there, Torch! Keep up the good work!"

Torch grunted and concentrated its gaze on Matt.

"Dazza, let's see what you can do!" Matt called, bringing out the Bug/Electric Type back into action once more.

The crowd was watching intently as the two competitors prepared their next moves.

"Torch, use Flame Wheel!" commanded Valerie.

Torch rolled itself up into a ball, engulfed in fire from its neck and shot towards its target.

"Dazza, use Electroweb and spin a net between those two trees there!" countered Matt.

Dazza got to work instantly, and had a large, but relatively crude net of electricity spread across the gap.

"Crap," Valerie clenched her fist, "Torch, abort, ABORT!"

Torch managed to stop itself just inches from hitting the web, and backed off several metres.

"Muzzle that thing with Electroweb!" Matt ordered.

"Flamethrower!" shouted Valerie.

Dazza ducked behind the tree to avoid the scorching-hot stream of fire, unwilling to get any closer. It zipped around to the other side and launched its attack from there.

Torch redirected its attack, and Dazza scrambled to avoid it.

The webbing holding the net against the tree suddenly snapped and failed, causing Dazza to fall.

It panicked and rushed for the other tree, narrowly avoiding the Flamethrower coming its way.

The tree on Torch's left suddenly burst into flames, startling everyone.

"It's really heating up now!" remarked the MC.

"Burn the second tree," ordered Valerie, "Cut off its escape!"

"That's right, Daleks don't climb stairs," Matt muttered under his breath, "They simply level the building. Dazza, Thunderbolt, now!"

The Galvantula peeked around from behind the tree and launched a powerful burst of electricity, intercepting the Flamethrower charging straight for it.

The attacks collided and struggled against each other initially, before the Flamethrower began to overpower and push the Thunderbolt back.

Dazza ducked back behind the tree as the flames seared past, and ignited the leaves in the tree.

Dazza made haste and ran back out to the centre of the field.

"Finish it!" Valerie clenched her fist.

Torch switched back to Flame Wheel, and ploughed into Dazza's side.

They both came to a stop a few feet from the impact point.

Torch hauled itself back up, leaving its target in a charred, frazzled mess.

"Galvantula is unable to battle!" the MC raised his red flag, "Typhlosion wins".

"What a performance!" the MC exclaimed as Matt recalled his fallen Pokémon, "Typhlosion has single-handedly reduced Matthew's team to just one Pokémon left! Even if he can still grab the win, this is never-the-less a spectacular display of raw power and determination against the odds from Valerie and her team, and that is a trait to be respected!"

The Sun overhead slowly died down as the Sunny Day effect wore off.

Matt pulled out his last Poke Ball, "So... this is it. The final showdown. The battle to determine the outcome once and for all. I must say, it has been a pleasure battling you, Valerie. You have my respect".

"Likewise," Valerie nodded.

"So without further ado, come on out Viper!" Matt tossed the Ball with all his might, releasing the Pokémon.

The crowd murmured in awe and surprise.

"The final battle..." the MC declared, "is between Typhlosion and _Serperior_! Place your bets and cross your fingers people! Because this is going to be awesome!"

Both Pokémon shot each other icy glares.

Valerie didn't hesitate, "Torch, use Flamethrower!"

"Viper, use Light Screen!" ordered Matt.

The Flamethrower slammed into a pink barrier that absorbed the brunt of the assault, minimising the extent of the damage.

"Follow up with Swords Dance!" Matt continued.

Viper suddenly became surrounded in a blue aura as it methodically moved about in a series of twirls and vaults.

"Torch, use Flame Wheel!" Valerie commanded.

Torch curled up and shot off towards its opponent.

Still in its hypnotic state, Viper simply moved to the side at the last second, and Torch flew right past it.

"That was close," murmured Matt.

Torch came to a stop, and turned around as Viper finished its routine, all pumped up and ready to go.

"Viper, use Leaf Blade!" Matt ordered.

Viper was lethally quick as its tail took a green glow, and it slammed it down on Torch's head.

"Flame Wheel!" Valerie countered.

Viper was beaten backwards as Torch slammed into it with a fiery tackle. The two rolled about in a blurry blend of green and red for several frantic seconds before the two separated and stepped back a few paces, taking a moment to catch their breath.

As they stood around, there was a bright pink flash as Viper's Light Screen wore off.

"Now, use Flamethrower!" yelled Valerie.

Torch instantly replied, launching another burst of flames at its opponent.

Viper quickly conjured its body into a ring, and the fire passed through the middle, doing minimal damage, then flicked its tail at Torch's head in another Leaf Blade.

Torch blocked the blow with its left forearm, and grabbed the tail in its right hand. It then flipped the entire Regal Pokémon over its shoulder, slamming it hard into the ground, and spat a Flamethrower at point-blank range.

Viper rolled about several times to get away, and shot straight back up, breathing heavily and covered scorch marks.

Both Trainers grit their teeth anxiously, as they called out their next attacks.

"Torch, Flamethrower, once more!" commanded Valerie.

"Viper, use- huh?" Matt stopped mid-sentence.

A green aura had surrounded the Grass Type, in a similar fashion to Sceptile earlier before.

"And Serperior too has activated its Overgrow ability!" the MC remarked in surprise, "Matthew's going to have to make the next shot count, and Valerie will have to watch out!"

"Flamethrower, NOW!" roared Valerie.

"Viper, use Frenzy Plant!" yelled Matt.

Viper's eyes glowed green, and suddenly a group of massive tree-roots shot up from the ground. The biggest one rammed into Typhlosion's gut just as it launched its attack, which ploughed a path right through the mess of roots and engulfed Viper's head in an inferno. Both Pokémon were knocked back and into the dirt.

"Now that was impressive!" exclaimed the MC, "Both Pokémon were hit _hard_ by the other's attack, and now they're both down! But who is outfor the count?"

The crowd was up in a frenzy as each Pokémon struggled to find an ounce of strength left.

There was an immense _BANG_, and a column of swirling blue fire shot skyward, engulfing the area surrounding Torch.

"_WOAH_, that was awesome!" yelled the MC, "It looks like Typhlosion's Blaze ability has kicked in, indicating it's running on empty too! There simply _can't_ be anything left in either of these valiant battlers!"

Torch slowly hauled itself back up, its neck flames burning an intense bright blue, and emitted a mighty roar that had the crowd almost going insane.

"The crowd here is absolutely ballistic here at Saffron Stadium," said the MC, "They've loved every minute of today so far, and this last fight is turning out to be a real treat!"

The crowd was split on either side, both chorusing their favourite Pokémon's name, urging them to get back into it.

Viper was slowly stirring itself up, trying to regain its focus.

"Things aren't looking too good for Serperior there," the MC remarked in concern, "it looks quite disoriented and is struggling to get up again. We might end up with a victory to Valerie here!"

Torch wasn't looking too flash either, slouched over and trying to regain its composure.

Viper showed signs of movement, and slowly started to slither across to a tree.

"C'mon mate," Matt pleaded, "Just a little bit more! We've almost done it, we're so close!"

"Just stay on your feet," Valerie said softly, "and if he knows what's best, he won't get back up".

The referee watched the two competitors concernedly, unsure of whether to declare a winner or not.

After a few tense moments though, Viper somehow managed to get back up, leaning against the tree for support.

For a few minutes, the two Pokémon just stood there, staring at each other.

"One more Flamethrower, Torch, and that prize is as good as ours!" Valerie begged, "Come on!"

Torch roared in confirmation, and finally launched its attack.

An intense blue inferno of death ripped up the turf in a b-line straight for its target.

Viper summoned the last of its strength and jumped upwards.

The attack slammed into the tree, causing a tremendous explosion, launching Viper up into the air.

It slowly travelled in a gentle arc straight towards Torch.

Matt grinned as the Serperior serenely front-flipped and used Leaf Blade.

Torch raised its arms to block, and Viper crashed right into it, knocking them both down again and kicking dust everywhere.

As the dust slowly cleared, both parties just lied there in their backs.

Viper made a groaning sound, and slowly dragged itself away, while Torch did not move at all.

"Oh no," Valerie's heart sank like a stone.

The referee made his decision and raised his green flag.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle! Serperior wins, making Matthew Valentine the winner of both the match and the Saffron Derby!"

The trainers clamped their hands over their ears as a monstrous roar went up from the crowd.

"And it's all over folks!" screamed the MC, "Matthew has done it! Serperior has halted the Apocalypse and saved the match! What a battle! This was truly one of the greatest ever matches to grace this Stadium, right down to the wire, and unfortunately for Valerie, all that hard work didn't pay off! Matthew Valentine, take a bow!"

Matt recalled Viper to its Poke Ball, "Thank you so much, buddy! I knew you'd pull through!"

He walked over to Valerie and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Unfortunate, mate. Good fight. Maybe next time, eh?"

Valerie hung her head and nodded as she recalled Torch.

"There you have it!" continued the MC, "Matthew Valentine of Mistralton City, Unova is our winner, and Valerie Adams of Ecruteak City, Johto is our runner-up in second place! An epic finish to what has been an all-round stellar display of teamwork, strategy and power! Here come the attendants with the prizes now!"

Two girls in staff uniforms walked onto the battlefield: one was carrying a trophy made of gold in one hand and a briefcase in the other, and the other carried a smaller briefcase than her companion.

"For first place, Matthew receives this marvellous trophy, along with ten _thousand_ dollars in prize money!" said the MC, "Second-placed runner-up doesn't go home empty handed either, to the tune of one thousand dollars in prize money as well!"

The attendants handed the trainers their respective prizes with a bow and walked back out of the arena. The trainers shook hands and walked off after them.

"So..." Matt held his hands behind his head as he walked, "You doing anything next Saturday?"

"No... I don't think so," she replied, "Why?"

"Here..." Matt handed her a slip of paper, "If you ever want a rematch, just gimmie a call anytime!"

With that, he increased his pace and walked off.

**And there you go. It is complete. Please review and have a nice day **


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